Portable tool for resurfacing valve seats



NOV. 12, 1963 J, oss 3,110,137

PORTABLE TOOL FOR RESURFACING VALVE SEATS Filed Aug. 30, 1962 INVENTOR.

United States Patent 3,119,137 PORTABLE TOOL FOR RESURFACING VALVE SEATS John Gross, 2223i) N. Avers, Chicago, Ill. Filed Aug. 39, 1952, get. No. 229,422 3 Claims. (Cl. 51-190) This invention relates to a portable tool for resurfacing valve seats and, more particularly, to a new and improved portable device for refacing the flush valve seat of a lavatory flush tank.

In conventional lavatory installations, the supply pipe that fills the lavatory flush tank is fitted With a level ball cock which has a plunger provided with a rubber washer to close the opening. The water supply to the tank is turned on and off by the raising and lowering of a hollow ball float connected to the plunger by a lever mechanism. When the flush valve is opened and the Water level goes down, the ball float goes down with it and the lever raises the plunger, allowing a fresh supply of water to enter the tank. When the flush valve is again closed, the incoming water gradually refills the tank and in rising carries the float up with it, slowly lowering the plunger into its seat and stopping the water filling process.

The opening and closing of the outlet from the tank to the closet bowl is accomplished by the raising and lowering of a relatively large rubber ball stopper suspended by lift wires, which are attached by another lever to the push button or handle on the outside of the flush box. The rubber ball stopper is a part of the flush valve mechanism and when the button is pressed or the handle turned, the rubber ball stopper is lifted from its seat on the outlet pipe allowing the water in the tank to rush into and flush the toilet bowl. In the meantime, the stopper remains suspended until the tank is empty wh n it again sinks to its seat Where it is held in place by Water pressure. If water continues to run into the bowl after the toilet is flushed it is evident that some part of the mechanism of the flush tank or flush valve is out of order and needs adjustment or renewal.

It is well established that much more water can be lost through faulty valves of a lavatory flush tank than most homeowners realize and leakage of water from a flush tank is nearly always accompanied by an annoying noise. Thus, Water leakage from a flush tank is not only wasteful and costly to the homeowner, but disturbing as well.

Oftent'unes water leakage occurs at the outlet or flush valve and is usually caused by improper seating of the rubher ball stopper upon its seat on the outlet pipe. When this is the case water continues to leak past the rubber ball stopper and out through the outlet valve into the closet bowl after the toilet has been flushed. Quite frequently water leakage due to improper seating of the rubber ball stopper can be traced to the poor condition of the flush valve seat rather than the condition of the rubber ball stopper per se. Occasionally the flush valve seat at the top of the outlet pipe is so badly corroded or covered with grit or roughened by wear to such an extent as to make an irregular seat for the stopper ball that it allows water to pass when the valve is in its closed condition. Heretofore, the only solution to the problem of water leakage due to an irregular flush valve seat was to replace the valve seat as well as the overflow pipe assembly since the outlet pipe and overflow pipe assembly are one unit. Obviously, such replacement is not only time consuming but relatively costly. It is, therefore, an important object of the present invention to provide a tool or device which is easy to operate, inexpensive to manufacture, and has a long usable life, and which is, further, efficient in operation for refacing or resurfacing the valve seat of a lavatory flush tank outlet valve.

A further object is to provide a valve seat resurfacing ice tool in which the abrading surface can be readily removed from a body member and quickly replaced by a [fresh abrading surface of the same size, character and shape as the replaced abrading surface.

A still further object is to provide a rotary valve seat resurfacing tool having an emery cloth or sandpaper surface which can be replaced by a fresh abrasive coated band or sleeve while maintaining the body of the tool in tact and without the necessity of removing the latter from the chuck or other gripping element of the device which is utilized to rotate the tool in use.

Another object is to provide a valve seat resurfacing tool having a body or base member which is fabricated from material which provides the requisite flexibility and resiliency to deform slightly under pressure and yet will not collapse and improperly support an abrasive coated sleeve whereby the abrasive coated sleeve seats itself upon the valve seat and is retained at all times in concentric relation thereto.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a flush tank valve seat resurfacing tool having a frusto-conical base or body member for receiving the abrasive element which is readily adapted to be rotatably driven by either a portable power tool or a hand tool such as a brace or the like.

Still another object is to provide a rotary smoothing or abrading device having a resilient supporting surface for the abrasive coated sleeve which permits the abrasive sleeve to be self-seating and to conform with the contours of the surfaces being smoothed, and which abrasive coated sleeve can be economically and easily disposed of when worn out and replaced by a new sleeve since no adhesive, cement, or complicated clamping means are necessary to drivingly connect the abrasive coated sleeve to the body or base member.

Another object of the invention is to provide a resurfacing tool for the flush valve seat of a lavatory flush tank of simple and compact construction; one which may be readily and economically manufactured from materials and by means of facilities ordinarily and readily available and yet one that has the capability of materially facilitating the operation of abrading and smoothing down irregular flush valve seats and rendering them as good as new.

The foregoing and other objects and desirable features inherent in and encompassed by the invention, together with many of the purposes and uses thereof, will become readily apparent from a reading of the ensuing description in connection with the annexed drawing, in which,

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an abrading tool embodying the invention; the chuck of a portable electric drill is shown attached to the tool;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view of the valve seat refacing tool;

FIGURE 3 is a detailed perspective View of the abrading sleeve or band detached from the body or base member of the tool; and

FIGURE 4 is an elevational view of the valve seat refacing tool mounted in operative relation to a valve seat of a lavatory fiush tank outlet valve, portions of the outlet pipe are in section to better illustrate the invention.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like reference characters represent like elements throughout the various views, the entire flush valve seat resurfacing tool or device is designated generally by numeral it} and includes a body or base member 11. The body member 11 is preferably made of rubber, synthetic rubber, plastic material, or other suitable material having the properties of being slightly resilient and flexible but not too soft so as to deform readily and be incapable of providing a relatively firm support for an abrasive coated surface. As est shown in FIGURE 2, the body member 11 is hollow and generally has a frusto-conical shape. One end of the body member ii is defined by a relatively thick circular head 12 which has a central, integrally formed neck 13 projecting axially outwardly therefrom. The neck has a metal ferrule 14, preferably made of brass, imbedded or otherwise firmly fixed therein. The ferrule 14 has iriternal screw threads 15 therein, the purpose of which will be explained hereinafter. lntegrally formed with and extending generally axially from the peripheral edge of the head 12 is a sleeve-like portion 16. Preferably the thickness of the sleeve-like portion 16 decreases from its inner large end adlacent the head 12 to its outer small end adjacent the outer open end. it will be noted that the outer small or open end of the sleeve-like portion 16 is defined by a radially inwardly extending annular flange or lip 17, the purpose of which will be appreciated hereinafter. The outer or exterior surface 16 of the sleeve-like portion 16 is frusto-conically sha ed and its dimensions and degree of taper are determined by and conform to the size and taper of the annular valve seat 19 of the ounet pipe 29 (partially shown) of a conventional lavatory flush tank.

An abrasive coated sleeve 21, which is supported on and encircles the sleeve-like portion 15, is preferably of a type well known to the industry and is constructed of a single thickness of abrasive material to thereby eliminate any overlap or seam. The abrasive coated sleeve or band 21 may be made of emery cloth, sandpaper or other like abrasive material. The annular inner frusto-conical surface 22 of the abrasive coated sleeve 21 conforms to the degree of t-per of the annular outer fmsto-conically shaped surface 13 of the sleeve-like portion 16 so that when the abrasive coated sleeve 21 is in engagement with the valve seat 19 and axial pressure is applied to the center of the head 12, the inner surface 22 of the abrasive coated sleeve 21 is tightly forced into frictional, nonslipping engagement with the outer frusto-conically shaped surface 18 of the sleeve-like portion 16 which, as stated above, serves as the foundation or support for the abrasive coated sleeve 21. Consequently, it is not necessary to use any adhesive or cement for bonding or clamping means for securing the abrasive coated sleeve 21 to the body member ll. Rotary motion is transmitted to the body member 11 by means of a rod-like drive shaft 23 which has one end provided with external screw threads 2-4 which conform to the internal screw threads 15 provided in the ferrule 14. In use, the end of the drive shaft 28 having the screw threads 24 thereon is threaded into the ferrule 1 and the opposite end of the rod-like drive shaft 23 is secured to the power-driven chuck 2-5 of an electric drill 26 (partially shown in FIG- URE 1). it is to be understood that the body member 11 can be rotated by means of a hand auger or brace in lieu of power-driven means without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In any event the direction of rotation of the rod-like drive shaft .23 is such that it tends to tighten the same in the ferrule 14- wvhen a valve eat is being refaced.

In order to resurface or reface a faulty valve seat 19 utilizing the tool it], the water supply to the lavatory flush tank is first shut off and the water in the tank is flushed therefrom. The rubber ball-like stopper is then removed from the flush tank as well as the linkage connected thereto. The valve seat 39 to be refaced is then dried. The threaded end 24 of the rod-like drive shaft 23 is threaded into the ferrule 14 and the opposite end is attached to the chuck of a power-driven or hand-driven tool. An abrasive coated sleeve or band 211 is then placed on the sleeve-like portions l d of the body member 11, as illustrated in FIGURE 2. With the abrasive sleeve 21 on the body member 11 the tool Jill is advanced downwardly into the flush tank interior until the abrasive sleeve 21 engages the valve seat 19 to be refaced. Inasmuch as the valve seat as well as the outer peripheral surface 3.3 or" the sleeve-like portion 16 of the body member 11 is frusto-conically shaped, the tool lb will tend to center n the outlet pipe opening of the flush tank.

itself Wit expand radially slightly and the abrasive coated sleeve 21 will be firmly gr'pped by the sleeve-like portion 16 in a non-slippng type manner and, consequently, upon rotation of the body member ll the abrasive coated sleeve 21 will rotate therewith. By making the body member 11 hollow the overall cost of the tool is reduced from a material usage standpoint and the overall weight thereof is also reduced. Furthermore, by varying the thickness of the sleeve-.ike portions as pointed out hereinbefore and, above all, by providing the radially inwardly extending lip 17, the degree of rexibility and resiliency required for efficiently and properly surfacing the valve seat 19 is assured and at the same time the sleeve-like portion 16 has imparted thereto the necessary firmness so as to not collapse and be rendered useless for supporting the abrasive coated band 21 when downward axial pressure is applied to the center of the head '12 of the tool body 11 when the tool it) is being used. From the foregoing it will be appreciated that the tool la) is self-seating and readily conforms to the valve seat surface 19 and the lip 17 serves to rigidify the open or smaller end of the frustoconically shaped surface 18 and prevent excessive deformation of the abrasive coated band supporting surface when axial pressure is exerted on the head 12 whereby a but valve seat conforming support for the abrasive coated band is afforded.

The embodiment of the invention chosen for the purposes of illustration and description herein is that preferred for achieving the objects of the invention and developing the utility thereof in the most desirable manner, due regard being had to existing factors of economy, simplicity of design and construction, production methods, and the improvements sought to be effected. It will be appreciated, therefore, that the particular structural and functional aspects emphasized herein are not intended to exclude, but rather to suggest, such other adaptations and modifications of the invention as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A portable, rotary abrading tool for refacing the annular, downwardly and inwardly tapered flush valve eat of a lavatory flush tank, comprising, a rotatable rodlike drive shaft; a resilient, flexible body having a sleevelike portion, the outer surface of said sleeve-like portion being frusto-conically shaped, said body further having a relatively thick head integrally formed with and closing the larger end of said sleeve-like portion, the smaller open end of said sleeve-like portion being defined by an integrally formed radially inwardly extending lip, said sleeve-like portion decreasing in radial thickness from said head to said lip; means for detachably connecting said drive shaft to a central portion of said head whereby said body and drive shaft are drivingly connected for rotation in unison; and an abrasive coated band mounted on said outer surface of said sleeve-like portion.

2. A portable, rotary 'abr'ading tool for refacing the annular, downwardly and inwardly tapered flush valve seat of a lavatory flush tank, comprising, a rotatable drive shaft, a body having a sleeve-like portion, the outer surface of said sleeve-dike portion being frusto-conically shaped, said body further having a relatively thick head rigidly connected with and closing the larger end of said sleeve-like portion, the smaller open end of said sleevelike portion being defined by an integrally formed radially inwardly extending lip, said sleeve-like portion decreasing in radial thickness from said head to said lip; means for detachably connecting said drive shaft to a central portion of said head whereby said body and drive shaft are drivinglyconnected for rotation in unison; and an abrasive coated band mounted on said outer surface of said sleeveportion.

3. A portable, rotary abrading tool for refacing the annular, downwardly and inwardly tapered flush valve seat of a lavatory fiush tank, comprising, a rotatable drive shaft; a body having a resilient, flexible sleeve-like portion, the outer surface of said sleeve-like portion being frusto-conically shaped, said body further having a relatively thick head rigidly connected with and closing the larger end of said sleeve-like portion, the smaller open end of said sleeve-like portion being defined by an integrally formed radially inwardly extending lip, said sleeve-like portion decreasing in radial thickness from said head to said lip; means for detachably connecting said drive shaft to a central portion or" said head whereby said body and drive shaft are drivingly connected for rotation in unison; and an abrasive coated band mounted on said outer surface of said sleeve like portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

2. A PORTABLE, ROTARY ABRADING TOOL FOR REFACING THE ANNULAR, DOWNWARDLY AND INWARDLY TAPERED FLUSH VALVE SEAT OF A LAVATORY FLUSH TANK, COMPRISING, A ROTATABLE DRIVE SHAFT, A BODY HAVING A SLEEVE-LIKE PORTION, THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVE-LIKE PORTION BEING FRUSTO-CONICALLY SHAPED, SAID BODY FURTHER HAVING A RELATIVELY THICK HEAD RIGIDLY CONNECTED WITH AND CLOSING THE LARGER END OF SAID SLEEVE-LIKE PORTION, THE SMALLER OPEN END OF SAID SLEEVELIKE PORTION BEING DEFINED BY AN INTEGRALLY FORMED RADIALLY INWARDLY EXTENDING LIP, SAID SLEEVE-LIKE PORTION DECREASING IN RADIAL THICKNESS FROM SAID HEAD TO SAID LIP; MEANS FOR DETACHABLY CONNECTING SAID DRIVE SHAFT TO A CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID HEAD WHEREBY SAID BODY AND DRIVE SHAFT ARE DRIVINGLY CONNECTED FOR ROTATION IN UNISON; AND AN ABRASIVE COATED BAND MOUNTED ON SAID OUTER SURFACE OF SAID SLEEVELIKE PORTION. 